SirDonB

I have met a few cachers, and became friends with a small percetnage of those I have met. Thus far, like you, I have not met anyone I did not like or got a bad feeling about. To date, I have not heard anything about how they view me, so I assume all is well. Different areas, different people, and different attitudes. It sucks that some are going to the the point they are encuraging others to boycott your caches. Look at it this way, let them do as they please, it is not worth loosing sleep over. If you have placed some awesome caches, those that boycott yours are the ones that are missing out. They may come around eventually when they run out of smilies to get and yours are the only ones left in the area.

This may be the leading reason for trackables from some areas asking to be placed in a PM cache only. While the last part of your post may be true, I am hoping to offer the "class" often enough to cache some of those new cachers before they find a trackable or to give them the option to drop them off at the "class" for others to grab. This way if they have them and leave them at the class, then forget about caching, the trackable has been saved and can be moved on. Will it work, That I am not sure, but What I am sure of is after a while, it should start to make a differance if we all start to offer this in our areas to the local caching community. The key to fixing the problem is to educate the uneducated. Some may show up just for the smilely and thats fine, however, if it can be made fun and interesting enough, then more will stay for the whole class and learn something. I will make the ball and set it in motion, but it is up the rest of you to carry it on. As I said in my original post, once I have the class made up and ready to go, I have absolutly no problems emailing the files to anyone who would like teach the class in their area. I am planning at this point to leave it in an open format so that you can alter the info to fit your area and community like example caches, specific coins and bugs, etc.

Though some may think the idea a good one, I am not likely to put this in as a "rule," so to speak, but may bring it up as something that some others have done. So far I am looking at 4 main sections to the class, a General Overview, Geocoins, Travel Bugs/Tags, and Sig Items. I am including sig items because I just found one that has a track code on it, so there could be some confusion there. I thought it was a trackable coin until after I logged it then found out it was a personal sig item. A pleasant conversation ensued after with the owner as I explained the misunderstanding on my part. Since the sig item is one I can keep, I am planning on using it as a teaching tool for the class. I already have permission from the owner to do with it as I please and they welcome the addional discoveries it will bring.

If you are looking to give a set away, as per the letter... I'm more than happy to take the burden of madness from you... Email me for my address. If they are available for purchase, where can you get them?

Anyone wishing to contribute, I am looking to gather trackable tips and tricks to make a class from. Please post here http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=319735 I have seen a few good ideas here I may implement and talk about.

No one else has any ideas to contribute? Threads that gave me a few more ideas http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=313739&st=0&gopid=5351807entry5351807 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=308821&st=0

Just to add a little to my previous post... If you posted here to seek a pat on the back for your idea or to see if it is interesting enough to do without "wasting" your time doing, let me say this: Nothing, for the most part, is a waste of time if it makes you happy while doing it. The joy others recieve from what you choose do is nothing more than a pleasent bonus. Make the video's because you want to, not because others want you to. If you do it for yourself, it will always feel like a hobby, once you start doing it for others, it stops being a hobby and becomes work. Those that have voiced a no here already obviously will not be watching, and if the videos end up being good then it is their choice to miss out on it. I do not know how well you can film, edit, etc in making a video, and I do not speak from one side of the argument or the other. I am not telling you to make them, and I not telling you not to make them... What I am telling you to do is decide if you want to make them then do what will bring you the greatest happiness. The only thing I will tell you to do, is keep in mind my words of caution in my previous post IF you decide to move forward with this project.

No, no issues or problems here on my end... could it be the picture settings on your monitor or computer? Everything looks just fine when I go to google maps.

Give it enough time and we will all have personal spacecrafts so we can go find it. Problem solved, anger issues taken care of.

Just wondering, How much, where can you get them, and how much for the whole set? I may be interested if the price is right.

Just my 2 cents on the topic... While the concept may be good, a few things to take into account... 1, permission, permission, permission. It is always best to check with the cache owner to see if they are OK with you videoing their cache and possibly give away its location to the world. If you are on private land, you should have permission to video there and to know what if anything is not to be on film. 2, if you do this, leave the spoilers out... Don't film the exact hiding spot, instead focus on the person or stop filming all together for the find, retrieval, and replacement. Film if you like opening the container and examing of the contents and signing of the log away from the actual hiding spot. 3, if a trackable item makes an appearance, hide the tracking code even if it means reopening the container after you have taped over the codes. 4, just have fun and remember to CITO while your out there.

I have seen one or two myself, and opt to ignore the QR code... I will generally make a quick log from my phone when I am out in the field, then once I get home, if there is more to say or share, I will edit my log from earlier to update. While I am on the comp for the log, I read the goal if there is one and see how I can help it along its way. I agree that most logs are disapointing, and I try to do my part to change that some when I can.

The scope of the class is straight forward... Trackable Etiquette and Handling. It would mainly be designed to cover everything you need to know about trackables in a time frame of about 30-60 min. I dont really see there being anything to complicated to require it to be broke down into a beginner and advanced class structure. I am just trying to get as many ideas to go over as I can to build the class. I will of course take as much info as I can from Groundspeak's help pages for trackables, but I see the best ideas coming from all of us in the field that handle them personally.

On most of them, there is a magnetic material on the inner portion of the log, so you can just use the magnet from the base to "grab" the log. Rolling it up and putting it back is a whole other story, though. I will have to try this next time if the opportunity is there. Thanks for the tip

Hey, that's what I was going to say! I found they go down nice and easy if dipped in ketchup first. I prefer Franks Red Hot for mine

Yes, it is. For some. However, deciding against a particular policy simply because there is the potential for a small percentage of folks to fib seems a bit defeatist to me. Might as well just toss all the guidelines in the trash, since a dishonest person could circumvent them. Why not decide, one way or another, based solely on the merits of a proposed rule? I think you made a good point with your comment regarding existing caches. There really is no reasonable way to fix them. The most we can do is look to the future. Should Groundspeak require document submission for every future cache, placed on private property? I don't think such an addition would be very practical. It seems like it would take a whole bunch of data storage. With just a few expended pixels, I can type contact information in a Reviewer note. No more, or less, pointless than requiring permission on any other cache. I have long scratched my head at the apparent contradiction displayed by Groundspeak where permissions are discussed. If I hide a cache in a public park, (where the locals have a permit process), I must show that I received explicit permission, even though my tax dollars helped purchase the land. But if I want to hide a cache on private property, such as the parking lot of a Wally World, I don't have to show that I received permission, even though the guidelines specifically require that I do so. This last part goes back to what have been saying and asking since I read the guidelines and found the forums... What is the differance between public and private property? I personally see non as all land with maybe excetion to native american reservations, are owned by some entidy, either person, company, or government, at least here in the United States. As far as how other contries clasify it, I have no idea. Maybe that is why GS has the contradiction on permission... if it is known that certian parks or cities require a permit or permission, then it is enforced, and as to wally world, no one has complained that I know of and so it sits in the grey zone, until the land owner of wally worlds parking lot puts a stop to it unless permission is granted, they will be be allowed under assumption.

So what? You want proof of permission for every cache? Every one of the 2 million+ geocaches? And who's going pay for someone to organize all of that? And who is the person that will organize it? This could be done very simply if GS wanted to... all they have to do is add a place where you upload a copy of the written proof of permission during the cache submission process. No need to pay someone to organize all of that. And reviewers simply do not publish a cache without that uploaded copy of permission. It is that simple. Yes it's simple to implement it in the future. It's quite easy to lie. "Dear Sir, or Madam. I hereby give the geocacher known as T.D.M.22 permission to place a cache on the mall property. Sincerely Billy Bob Robertson, Property Manager, XYZ Mall." So explain how permission will cut down on people who are neither cachers, the CO, or the person who gave permission, not knowing what's happening. You had asked who would organize all the info and who would pay someone to do so... my responce was the simplest way to achieve that without the direct need for a paid person. GS would have an official form that would have to be submitted with the cache listing in order to be pulished. The reviewer just has to check to see that the official form was used and there. After that, random checks could be done since all the needed contact info would be listed on the form. If a CO is found to have placed a cache without permission, the cache is archived and the CO delt with however GS sees is fit. As to how permission will cut down on not knowing whats happening, this is where one takes the time to educate about geocaching. I have had a few late night run ins with some of the local PDs in my caching area, after a few times of them showing up and talking to me, they now know what it is I am doing. I gave them my contact info, and once in a while, I will get a call asking if I am in some obscure location geocaching. I dont know if they got a caching account to check themselves or not yet, but when I get the call, I assist them the best I can. It is human nature that we tend to think the worst of someone if we dont know what is going on. I must say though, to date, I have not been accused outright of doing something illegal, so I consider myself pretty lucky. So again, the best we can do is educate those we can when the opportunity arises, then move on to the next cache.

So what? You want proof of permission for every cache? Every one of the 2 million+ geocaches? And who's going pay for someone to organize all of that? And who is the person that will organize it? This could be done very simply if GS wanted to... all they have to do is add a place where you upload a copy of the written proof of permission during the cache submission process. No need to pay someone to organize all of that. And reviewers simply do not publish a cache without that uploaded copy of permission. It is that simple.

If not mentioned, since you should do maintence on your cache anyway, you can always log a maintence log and retrieve the trackables you want to take with you. This would kill 2 in 1, you get a maintence check in and you get to grab some trackables all in one log.

This would explain the mass released personal signature item I found today all with the same tracking number. At first I thought it was a geocoin till I got it home and loged it. After reading the page, I looked at it closer and it is indeed not a coin as I first thought. I did not think personal signature items were trackable. Guess they are, and now I know.

Another thread got me thinking... What points/topics should be covered if teaching a class to geocachers on trackable items like Travel Bugs and Coins? I think some of the basics should be covered like: What is a trackable? What do I do when I find a trackable? Proper ediquitte - logging, how long to hang on to it, etc. What are your options via the trackable's page? Feel free to add anything you think should be talked about. I am thinking about hosting an event specific to teaching other cachers about trackables. Also please share any tips or tricks you have in regards to trackables. I am going out for foot surgery at the end of the month and will have tons of time on my hands... I am planning on creating the class and maybe a powerpoint presentation on the subject. Once everything is done, I will be more than happy to share it with anyone interested. And yes, the class info would be open format so if there is something not included in what I put together, you are more than welcome to alter it to fit your area or view point better. I may do something simular in the future for placing a cache. I know there was a tips and tricks event semi locally geared at finding a cache. But for now, I think I will just focus on trackables. Thank you to any and all who give their opinions.

Sounds like an event a few times a year to educate on proper TB handling is in order. This gives me an idea for an event I could do locally for my caching community. Granted I fall into the 200 or less finds catagory, but I always properly log the ones I find and if I find one that was not logged, I grab it from the previous holder, person or cache, have it visit the cache I got it from so it does not loose that milage, then log it into the cache I drop it into. So while it may not be all newer cachers, it may certinly be the majority of them that dont know what to do. When I found my first trackable, I didnt know what it was, but I let my common sense guide me and I figured it out pretty quick and have been hooked since. Looking at my first trackable, I saw the code and it said to go to the site to track, so that's what I did, and followed the natural flow of it all. I think I had about 20-30 finds when I came across my first trackable. Proper handling is not hard, it just takes a little bit of common sense to do, just like finding and logging a cache.

Though I may not like nanos much, I have yet to come across one I could not open with just my hands, getting the logs out at times took a little more/less finesse... I will still find them since they are the domenate species of cache in my area along with the the PX/film container under a lamp post skirt. I regard caches like Pokemon, Gotta cache them all.

What one is this and where is it... I want to find that TB as well.

I have one on my van... I was debating if I wanted to have it remade and stuck on what ever vehicle I get to replace it or just let it travel. I dont much like the van, so I dont think I would want to get random updates on its where abouts. Besides, unless you sold it yourself, I think the dealer would scrape it off anyway.